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The Toronto Maple Leafs will be making a change that was expected, as the club will be holding a media availability on Wednesday to announce that Auston Matthews will be named the club’s 26th team captain in franchise history.
According to both TSN’s Darren Dreger and The Athletic’s Chris Johnston , the change was something that senior members of the organization thought about after the club’s seventh early exit from the playoffs in the last eight years and that the process included members of the front office and soon-to-be former captain John Tavares, who was on board with the handoff to the 26-year-old Matthews.
Toronto went captainless for more than three years after Dion Phaneuf was dealt to Ottawa in March, 2016. There was some consideration internally about Matthews being given the “C” in 2019, but an off-season incident in Arizona with a female security guard may have swayed the Leafs away from the 21-year-old to the direction of the more senior Tavares, especially since he served as team captain in New York and coming off a career-high 47 goals in his first season.
This change has more to do with Toronto wanting to give their best player more of a leadership role, than any lack of leadership on the part of Tavares. The failures of the Leafs in the past have more to do with a flawed construction of their roster and not enough talent to get past the tough competition in their division.
The 33-year-old is entering the final year of his seven-year, $77 million free-agent deal with the Leafs, but there is a good possibility it will not be his last season in Blue and White. In spite of the hue and cry of many of the club’s frustrated fanbase, the Mississauga native has been a consistent performer throughout his six years with the Leafs, and it is possible that GM Brad Treliving could choose to extend him at some point before next July as he transitions from a core piece to a supporting player.
Toronto Maple Leafs Blogger • 
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